AAP calls for dissolution of Delhi Assembly within a week, demands fresh polls

New Delhi: Hoping to put behind its disappointing performance in Lok Sabha polls, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) virtually kick-started its campaign to regain lost ground with a rally in the city where the party threatened to launch a door-to-door campaign if the assembly was not dissolved within a week to pave the way for fresh election.

Addressing a rally at Jantar Mantar, the popular protest hotspot in the heart of national capital, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the Centre for ‘not allowing’ dissolution of Delhi assembly as the party was ‘not ready to face the electorate’ in the city.

In his 35-minute speech, his first major public address after the electoral drubbing of the party in the Lok Sabha polls, Kejriwal said that AAP is fully ready to face the election and claimed that BJP and Congress were shying away from polls as they are afraid of defeat.

"We are giving a week's time to the government. If they do not dissolve the assembly, we will undertake door-to-door and signature campaign and demand dissolution of the assembly so that fresh elections can be conducted,” the former Delhi chief minister said.

"The BJP and Congress should face fresh election. The BJP is delaying election and this is helping the AAP. If elections are conducted now, AAP will get 40 seats, if it is conducted in October, we will get 50 and 55 in February," said Kejriwal while addressing a rally, seen as an effort by AAP to regroup and regain its lost ground after it drew blank in the Lok Sabha election in Delhi.

In a spectacular poll debut, AAP had won 28 seats in the Delhi assembly election held in December last year and formed the government later with outside support from Congress.

The 49-day AAP government had resigned on February 14 after it was defeated on the issue of tabling of the Janlokpal Bill. In the Lok Sabha election, held in April, the AAP could not even win a single seat in Delhi.

Speaking at the well-attended rally, Kejriwal also slammed Lt Governor Najeeb Jung alleging that he was not taking decisions ‘independently’ and was functioning under the influence of the ruling party at the Centre ‘to save his chair’.

"LG is trying to save his chair. If he does not listen to the BJP, he will lose his chair," the AAP leader said.